As a followup to my post yesterday, here’s a listing of the Senators and Representatives with Twitter accounts,

It’s disappointing to see so many that are inactive, or just spam channels. Compare Bob Latta (R) or Keith Ellison (D) to Sen. Joe Biden, who stopped twittering when he dropped his bid for President.

Seriously, Democrats. Own your message. Send it out. Don’t worry if you send it to folks who aren’t your constituents, because your engagement is what matters. Engage and good things will come to you.

I attribute much of the negative opinion about Congress to Nancy Pelosi’s leadership, who has moments of brilliance shaded by some that are really dark and unnecessary. While I understand that politics is a constant struggle between principle and compromise, knowing where to stand and where to fall, Pelosi seems to constantly operate from a position of expedience with regard to little else.

Today’s dark moment:

But what looks like intraparty tension on the surface is part of an intentional strategy in which Pelosi takes the heat on energy policy, while behind the scenes she’s encouraging vulnerable Democrats to express their independence if it helps them politically, according to Democratic aides on and off Capitol Hill.

Decoded, what this means is that Pelosi is opposing any offshore drilling initiatives while encouraging her fellow Democrats to to support offshore drilling.

Talk about cynical. Is there anything political that actually turns back to a principle? Is there anything in this country worth actually fighting for? Even Barack Obama, who I also don’t agree with, clearly is fundamentally opposed to offshore drilling but is entertaining the possibility of some limited drilling offshore. I do think that he’d try and fight behind the scenes for a different compromise with regard to energy policy if at all possible.

But damn, Pelosi is a Californian. These shores are HER shores. She’s a northern Californian, even. If you think our shores down here are beautiful, you should see theirs. And offshore drilling initiatives would indeed wreak havoc on many areas, even California’s if no limits are placed on what leases are up for grabs.

Nancy Pelosi, what are you thinking? Please, take a meeting with Barbara Boxer and figure this out. This Californian is not amused, nor is she willing to sacrifice a lifelong love of the California coast for Big Oil and Republican paranoia.

Also, on today’s Newsgang Live we pay tribute in our own, unique, politically junkie-like ways.

Bill Moyers is one of my heroes. This video is a must-watch whether you are a blogger or a political junkie or simply a citizen of what you believe to be a democracy. It’s 39 minutes that feels like 3.9. He nails corporate media, neocons, and the danger of apathy all in one short speech.

Listen to tonight’s post-election-return NewsGang Live, where I did my best to hold down the fort while Steve recovers from a cold, and serious dizziness after all the spinning. I think I even got the ending right.

NewsGang Live 5-20-2008